Israeli Ambassador to the United States and to the United Nations Gilad Ardan During the night (Friday-Saturday), there was a sharp criticism of the International Court of Justice’s decision in The Hague, according to which the court has the authority to investigate Israel, is “distorted and antisemitic.” Arden posted a video on his Twitter page, in which he describes the decision as “an attack on Israel and the other democracies in the world, which is undermining the efforts to protect civilians from terrorism.”
As will be recalled, the International Court of Justice in The Hague has ruled in a precedent-setting decision that it allows the plaintiff in the court to open a criminal investigation against various elements in the State of Israel. In its decision, the tribunal also allows an investigation to be launched against Hamas in Gaza. The tribunal ruled that the Palestinian Authority is a company under the Treaty of Rome, and is therefore entitled to hear petitions that have taken place in the territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and East Jerusalem. The decision removes all legal barriers that have so far faced the tribunal to investigate issues that have occurred in these territories.
The Treaty of Rome is an international treaty establishing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in The Hague to conduct investigations and conduct legal proceedings. The Convention is signed by 138 countries and deals mainly with genocide crimes, crimes against humanity and other war crimes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He said after the decision: “Today the tribunal proved once again that it is a political body and not a judicial institution. The tribunal ignores the real war crimes and instead pursues the State of Israel, a state with a strong democratic regime, which sanctifies the rule of law, and is not a member of the tribunal. “The court has the right of democracies to defend themselves against terrorism, and has played into the hands of those who are undermining efforts to expand the circle of peace. We will continue to protect our citizens and soldiers from legal persecution in every way.”
foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi He also responded to the decision: “The decision of the International Criminal Court today distorts international law and makes this institution a political tool in the hands of anti-Israel propaganda. The International Criminal Court has no authority to discuss the Palestinian case. The State of Israel is a strong democracy with an independent and effective judiciary. The judges’ decision awards a prize to Palestinian terrorism and the PA’s refusal to return to direct negotiations with Israel, and contributes, in effect, to polarization between the parties. We call on countries that see importance in the international legal system and oppose its political exploitation to respect the sovereign right of States choose not to agree to the jurisdiction of the tribunal “
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However, MKs from the joint list welcomed the decision, along with senior Palestinian Authority officials.